CIP station

Clean-in-place (CIP) is a method of cleaning the interior surfaces of pipes, vessels, process equipment, filters and associated fittings, without disassembly. Industries that rely heavily on CIP are those requiring high levels of hygiene, and include: dairy, beverage, brewing, processed foods, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics. The benefit to industries that use CIP is that the cleaning is faster, less labor-intensive and more repeatable, and poses less of a chemical exposure risk to people.

Working principle

The cleaning solution is pumped through the specially designed heat exchanger, where it is heated to required temperature. It is then routed to the object to be cleaned and back to the circulation tank included in the CIP module. After each cleaning phase the cleaning solution is routed to drain or back to the detergent tank for later re-use. A normal sequence could include initial water rinse, chemical cleaning, and final water rinse followed by chemical or hot water disinfection. During the whole cleaning cycle the temperature, flow and detergent concentration in the CIP return line are automatically controlled. The system furthermore includes automatic make-up of cleaning solutions. This preparation program can be started by the operator or automatically at a specified time or after a selected number of cleaning sequences. A control panel with a PLC monitors the automatic plant operation and relevant process data are displayed on the colour screen operator interface.